UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid preview

Two of Europe's giants will clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Wednesday in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final as Bundesliga champions Bayern host defending LaLiga champions Real Madrid. Last season these two sides met in the quarter-finals of the competition and it was a thriller: Real won 2-1 in Munich, then Bayern won 2-1 in Madrid but eventually Real won the second leg 4-2 after extra time. The head-to-head record between these two teams is perfectly balanced at the moment: 11 wins apiece and just 2 draws. Bayern Munich are still dominating German football, they have secured yet another Bundesliga title with several matches to spare and can afford to focus fully on the Champions League now. They had a pretty tough time against Sevilla in the previous round but eventually pulled through thanks to the 2-1 away victory that they recorded in the first leg. Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller, Javi Martinez, Joshua Kimmich, Mats Hummels and David Alaba were all rested at the weekend as Bayern won 3-0 at Hannover, so they will be fully fit for Wednesday's match. However, Kingsley Coman, Arturo Vidal and Manuel Neuer remain sidelined. Real Madrid didn't have the best of seasons but they can still salvage it if they win the UEFA Champions League again. They have failed to reach the final of the Spanish Cup, while the LaLiga title is firmly in Barcelona's hands, so Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates can use the league matches as training sessions for the Champions League games. Last weekend Real didn't have any fixtures, so the whole team will be well-rested. Nacho is the only fitness concern for head coach Zinedine Zidane, while Sergio Ramos is available again after having served his suspension. Probable line-ups: Bayern: Ulreich - Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Alaba - Rodriguez, Martinez, Alcantara - Muller, Lewandowski, Ribery Real: Navas - Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo - Modric, Casemiro, Kroos - Isco - Ronaldo, Benzema My prediction: 1-1 draw. Here are the odds for the match at Bet365: Bayern win - 2.00 Draw - 3.75 Real win - 3.79